How We Ate for $37 a Week for a Year

If you’re reading this, you may be in the same position I was back in 2013. A new mom, transitioning to stay home with her newborn, and suddenly realizing you can’t breastfeed and have to put your baby on formula, an expensive and unexpected expense. On top of all the emotional aspects of having a new baby, you now have to figure out where the money for the formula will come from and how you’ll make it.

This was an unfortunate reality for me and John after we had Allison, and we decided to take the money out of our grocery budget of $60 a week. We were left with $37 to live on for food and household items, and I wondered how we’d do it. It wasn’t perfect, but we survived, and I want to outline exactly what we did for that entire year in hopes that I can encourage someone who might be in the same situation. A few things to note before you read on:

Did we buy organic food? No.

Did we eat “clean”? No.

Did we at least try to eat healthy? Depends on what you call healthy. Keep in mind we were dealing with our first baby and all the hormones and depression that can sometimes go with that, so I ask that you read with an open mind and know that we’re much better now and can see what we eat in my $75 a week grocery trips.

What We Bought and Ate

The two main stores we shopped at during this time were Meijer and Aldi. Aldi was our heavy-hitter, where we bought most of the essentials, and Meijer was for the great coupon deals. Here were some of the items that made its way into our grocery list most weeks:

Pasta: I only bought pasta when it was less than $1.00 per box. My stock-up price was 50 cents, and I would buy 4-5 boxes at a time.

Salad dressing: Our main vegetable and side item was salad, with cheese, croutons, and bacon bits (See above question about whether we ate healthy). I could get Kraft salad dressing for less than $1.00 after coupons, so it made for a cheap option.

Lunch meat: I distinctly remember one week where John said, “You have $18 this week for food. Can you do it?” Meijer had a Buy 8 Items, Get $8 off sale so I bought a lot of deli ham and bologna for something like $.69 each, along with boxes of Velveeta shells and cheese for $.99. We had macaroni and cheese, sandwiches, and wraps all week, but I was under budget!

Salsa, sour cream, enchilada sauce, tortilla shells: We ate a LOT of simple Mexican food, which consisted of any/all of the previously mentioned items as well as rice and home-cooked dried black beans. We’d eat them as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or just a regular burrito bowl.

Kraft macaroni and cheese: Yep, I said it. We ate Kraft macaroni and cheese. It’s still one of our favorite brands and we’d eat it as a complete meal, sometimes adding cut-up hot dogs.

DiGiorno pizza: If we could get these for under $5, I’d buy a few for the freezer. These were great cheap meal nights!

Fruits/veggies and baby food pouches: I made Allison’s baby food, using simple fruits and vegetables, and froze the puree in ice cube trays. When she refused purees on a spoon, I bought the pouches instead and gave her one a day. I found that Beech-Nut is the cheapest at $.88 each at Wal Mart.

Here were some of our staples at Sam’s Club:

Chicken breasts: We bought them at $1.88 per pound, in approximately 5-pound packages, and froze some for future use.

Chocolate chips: We’d buy a 4-pound bag and use them in pancakes and waffles.

Pancake mix: I know it’s cheaper to make your own, but for $5.00 we got a lot of mix and it lasted us quite awhile.

Ground turkey: I can’t remember when we started to buy this, but we started using this instead of ground beef. $2.59/lb as opposed to $2.99+/lb.

Shredded cheese: We’d buy the 5-pound bags of cheese and froze them into 1-pound bags.

We had to be careful when we bought things at Sam’s. Most things were $10+, so one item would wipe out half our grocery budget for the week. I used Swagbucks when I could, taking surveys here and there to get extra gift cards, but I only got around 2 $25.00 gift cards that entire year.

Pancakes/Waffles (Bought a bulk bag of mix at Sam’s, made big batches and froze the leftovers)

How We Finished Out Strong

Allison was born in October 2013, and in April 2014 we got enough money from our tax return to make a big GFS (Gordon Food Services, like Sam’s but mostly restaurant quality food/items) and Sam’s Club run. We bought household essentials: paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, freezer bags, etc. We also bought food for a month’s worth of meals. I used this $5 Dinner’s monthly menu for Sam’s Club. (Note: It looks like this menu is now only for purchase and no longer free.) All the paper goods lasted us almost 6 months, which was when we were able to finally up our grocery budget!

How we survived

I prayed constantly. I didn’t think we could continue this for a full year, but little things happened that I just knew was God at work. If we needed to buy something we were almost out of, it would magically be on sale the next week, or it would be the off week that we didn’t need to buy formula, or I somehow had enough Swagbucks to get a gift card to use at Sam’s! We were never in need, and we got through it, and we were still faithful.

If you’re in a similar situation, remember that you WILL get through this. Times will be tough. You’ll probably cry because you just want a little extra money for groceries. I’ve been there, multiple times, and there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep praying, keep doing your best with what you have, and you’ll make it through your situation with an inspiring story to share and a better understanding of how you can survive on a shoestring budget. Don’t be afraid to leave a comment here for those who might be struggling!

After reading this it gave me some hope! Myself, my husband and our daughter are going through very hard times. I am a full time college student and my husband just got laid off for the past few weeks I have had to totally rethink the way I buy groceries. I used to just walk in the grocery store and buy whatever I wanted us to eat for the week and buy pricey meals and now we are having difficulty paying bills and groceries are put on the back burner. So after reading this I feel like you were talking to me and reassured me everything will be okay and god will see us through this.

Amelia, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband’s job loss! We were in the same situation last year; it really changes the way you think about buying food! I hope that your husband has a quick turn-around and can find a job soon. I wrote a post while my husband was unemployed about how to eat when you have no income. Hopefully this will give you more ideas on how to survive temporarily. Good luck to you! https://www.nogettingoffthistrain.com/frugal/how-to-eat-no-income/

This is the most important thing to remember! I’m willing to add to my grocery bill (if I can). My mantra is eat the best food you can afford and know you’ve done what you can. Such awesomeness in the post and comments!
Thanks!

My household is working on a budget right now (since I have left my job to pursue writing) and man is it tough! Doable, but tough! There are some great tips in here! Sam’s is always great for budgets. There is a lot of prep work involved but it is totally worth it. Great post—thanks!

This is super impressive! I spend about $50 every two weeks but I’m only buying for me! I also am picky about certain foods and don’t eat many processed foods, so I do hope I could eat more cheaply if I had to.

Exhausting, colicky/reflux baby days definitely made it hard for me to buy and prepare food- getting through the coupons and *burning* a meal took so much precious time! Your easy meals at a low cost make a lot of sense for that stage. Our family of 5 eats a ton of food, but, with the children older and out playing or helping, I now have more time available to garden, preserve, and cook from scratch.

Shopping at warehouse stores is definitely the way to go when you can, especially for meat, cheese, and paper goods. I spent like $117 at Costco last week and bought enough meat (ground beef, frozen chicken breasts, frozen fish fillets, pork chops) to last us probably 2 months.

It’s a bit harder for us to stay on or under budget since our stores don’t do coupons and from what I’ve seen, don’t have many good deals, either. I think you did great with what you could.

Going through tough times makes us appreciate the good times even more. It is challenging to transition to one income and it sounds like you managed to find your way. Budgeting is definitely a critical piece of the puzzle.

As I read your post I could almost have been reading about my own situation a few years ago. We also survived on a menu very similar. One meal we survived on was Lentil chili. I would buy the lentils in bulk at my grocery store, add a can or two of tomato sauce (depending on how large a batch I was making) a packet of chili seasoning and it was good to go. If I was having a good week I could throw in some ground beef, but that was not frequent. I would make a big pot and it would last us for two dinners and lunches, and all for less than $2.50. I also made a lot of breakfast for dinner items like biscuits and gravy and pancakes. They are filling and cheap even if not the most healthful. It was a long year and there were a lot of foods I didn’t want to look at for a couple years after the fact, but it also taught me that I could be very resourceful when I needed to be.

Thank you so much for sharing! It’s so easy to feel guilty about not eating the “best” or healthiest when you’re on a very small grocery budget, but like you found out, you gotta do what you gotta do to survive!

Last year our grocery budget was $60 a week. That was for our family of 7. The year before the grocery budget was $30-40 a week. It is super hard. You did an amazing budget- I wouldn’t even call it unhealthy. Now I have $100 a week, and I feel so spoiled.

Living paycheck to Tuesday (mind you that payday is on Friday) can be difficult so this post is so inspirational, as well as helpful. The Lord is so faithful to those who put their faith in Him and I’m so grateful for that. Thanks so much.

Wow i loved ur story it is embarrassing to say but my husband just got arrested and he was our only provider i tell my kids no more eating out we have to cook meals at home and try to do what u did but my family is helping me go thru this thank god for them…

Thankfully we have a little more knowledge than we did back then. =) We did eat some oatmeal as well; my favorites were the overnight oats! Like I had said above, we did the best we could with what we had and what we knew, and we are now eating much better!

It’s definitely inspiring you were so creative and frugal with your budget, but eating real, healthy food on this budget is impossible. The foods that you purchased, are, unfortunately, packed with preservatives and chemicals. And I doubt the produce was organic. I know it’s really hard to afford organic for a lot of people, and I’ve been there. But you can still eat much cleaner than Kraft, Digorno and Valveeta-and probably much cheaper-by sticking to real, whole ingredients.

You’re absolutely right; it’s almost impossible to eat completely healthy on this kind of a budget. It was a one-year season in our lives that was really tough financially, and we did the best we could with what we had and what we knew. When I tell this story to others, I do say that yes, it wasn’t the healthiest, but you gotta do what you gotta do to survive the hard times! We eat much better now and use healthier ingredients. =)

I beg to differ. my fridge and freezer are packed with fruits , vegetables and meat. while we certainly don’t eat meat alot we eat lots of produce. We eat meat every other day for only dinner. we are able to get organic fruit and veggies for 40$ and get our free range beef for 40$ for 3 cuts at a farmers market. 30$ for other things like yogurt beans ,pasta cheese and oat meal which I get in bulk. so 110$ for two weeks for 3 people. so for 55$ per week I can support local ethical farmers and get healthy food. we meal plan , eat lots of soup from the broth I make with my meat , left overs and no processed foods. Granted now … I could save 30$ by not getting pastured eggs and non grass fed meat,and non organic but I dont want to support mega factory farmed operations eating unhealthy animals and chemical laden fruits and vegetables. We try to get organic as much as possible but not everything we buy is like pasta . So yes I do limit our buying power but we never eat out , we also use family sized shampoos for all of us (lasts 3 months) family cloth,cloth diapers and reusable storage containers instead of plastic bags and wash our clothes by hand in grey water.. We also buy things like bleach and cleaning supplies from the dollar store. my husband doesn’t make much so I do what I can to make our budget stretch. it is possible to live healthy on a budget.. you just got to rethink what you can do without..like milk, sour cream,meat,plastic baggies,toilet paper and individual shampoos/soaps for everyone.

This is inspiring, thank you for sharing! We’re not buying organic right now although I’m open to it, but now that my husband is out of work and we’re eating cheaply again with no income, I’m learning more and more about eating healthier on a budget. I’m glad to know it’s possible!

You are VERY fortunate that food is so cheap there!! In Australia coupons dont exist and we really only have Two supermarket chains and they are not hyper competitive! For an idea, chicken breast is between $14-21 per kilo, Ham and deli meats on the lowest special are $17.99 per kilo and pasta shells on special are $2 a packet. We pay through the roof for everything!!

I miss Aldi so much. They don’t exist where I live now, but I grew up with one in the midwest. But we do have a Winco which has bulk food- and I LOVE that- and they are really inexpensive compared to other stores. It BLOWS my mind how some stores are so inflated! There’s a Kroger family of stores- and one is moderately overpriced and the other is more upscale, little more fancy, gourmet, Whole Foods vibe, but the SAME product can vary more than a couple dollars! It’s crazy. Budgeting is so important. Some weeks it’s like a bonus when it feels almost effortless. Then some weeks it’s like.. oh, yeah… ugh… lol It’s a priceless skill.. <—- oh pun intended. lol I should get out more… lol

Man, I don’t know what I’d do without Aldi! I totally agree about the budgeting thing. Some weeks I’m just awesome at getting everything under budget, and other weeks I just look at the money we have and think, “How can we eat with THIS?”

Going thru this right now! But I am a family of 7. I just left Aldis and spent 55.95 on some box dinner and a big tray of ground beef. I am hoping this will last us 10 days. So for 10 days it will be nothing but box dinner. I still have to get milk for the twins and some cereal.

That is a very tight budget to work with but buying large bags of potatoes, carrots and onions are cheap. Also spices in bulk are way cheaper than packaged spice mixes for chili, etc. Dried beans and other legumes are another great buy and they freeze beautifully to add in small amounts to salads and other meals. A big bag of outmeal and some eggs are also good purchases to make. All things I do to keep our budget in check.

Great job-it’s very difficult to shop for food on a small budget. My question is why was there so much name brand products purchased? Being in Canada will mean the cost will be much higher than $37/week but I couldn’t touch that even though I buy basically no-name products and lots of bulk foods as well as vegetables. I feel so frustrated because I can’t feed the 2 of us on less than $80-90 per week. What am I doing wrong?????

Hi Kathleen! I can’t even imagine living in Canada where things are more expensive. It may be almost an impossibility to reach $37 a week with higher prices! When I purchased the name brand products, it was because I either had a coupon, or it was on sale to the point where it was even cheaper than the store brand. I hate paying full price for anything, so I keep a mental price list so that when I see something go on sale, I check my price list to see if it’s really the lowest price.

Is couponing a thing in Canada? I know a few countries don’t even have coupons and have really high prices. Other than that, my advice is to look at what you’re buying and see if you can make any of it instead! For example, any kind of bread or sauces, like spaghetti or pizza sauce. I save at least a few dollars a week just doing that!

Thanks for the explanation-that makes so much more sense and I know that happens now and then, even here. I’ve even found some of those kinds of deals.
People do coupon and my favourite store does post them at the front but they are all basically name brands and I refuse to buy name brands (unless the no-name has proven to be inferior). I’ve asked the store to provide coupons for no-name but I’m guessing that it wouldn’t make sense to them.
I stay away from ready-made items-we make basically everything from scratch, I cook beans from scratch and freeze them. I can 75-100 pints of tomatoes in the fall, I buy strawberries from the farm and pick my own blueberries, blackberries and raspberries and freeze them. We usually eat 3 vegetarian meals a week and have leftovers 2 nights with meat only on the weekends.
I just feel as if there must be something I’m missing in this endeavour because it seems impossible to reduce the bill down to a reasonable $50 or so per week.

It sounds like you’re doing everything right! =) I think there’s a balance between eating as cheaply as possible and eating healthy. When you get down to under a certain budget, you tend to buy more boxed foods just because it’s cheaper, and while that’s okay for seasons in your life, it may not be the best for the long run. We now spend around $60 a week for the 3 of us, and even then I still buy some convenience foods just because we like them (I’m a sucker for Velveeta!)

$60 U.S would likely translate to $75 or so for us in Canada which I can live with. I have to backtrack on my saying that I never buy processed foods-I do slip now and then. Buying tortilla chips, no-name salsa and a few other things.
Thanks again for the pointers and I’m going to keep on working on lowering our grocery budget.

You did a wonderful job providing for your family and keeping everyone’s bellys full.

I remember several times where my husband and I literally only had $10 left for the week and we had to use it for gas to get to work until payday. Some of those weeks we were so strapped we considered siphoning gas from his car to mine since he works from home and didn’t really need to dive anywhere. During those times we’d raid the pantry and put together a meal with whatever we had in there. Some were actually really yummy and unique, others were bad attempts, but we ate them anyway!

My husband does all the grocery shopping and usually keeps about a $40 a week budget. We’re vegetarian so we don’t have to worry about expensive meat. Pound for pound we can buy 3 to 4 times more fruits and veggies than we could I we had to buy meat products. We don’t eat pasta or potatoes often, so that $40 usually consists of fruits, veggies (fresh and frozen), maybe some bread (just acquired a bread maker so we can cross that off the list), and dairy/eggs. The best things that has helped us keep on budget is no meat. That stuff is so expensive we don’t understand how people can afford to eat it!

Wow, I’m so glad you were able to get through that! I like hearing about others’ eating habits, too. =) We probably eat a little more meat than we need to, so it’s nice to see that we can eat vegetarian meals and still keep them cheap!

This is so amazing and inspiring. Those seasons last only for a while and I’m a bride to be knowing that it’s going to be challenging. The main thing I loved is that your focus was relying on God for his provision and then using good planning and knowledge. I’ll be continuing to do the same and now I have some inspiration! Listening to the wisdom of God pays off!

This is so inspiring! Thank you for sharing all your tips. The one that stood out the most to me is praying when shopping. It works! I’ve been learning about how to grocery shop in a smarter way and to include the Lord, He provides! Almost everything on my list was on sale last week! From your new friend over at http://www..housemixblog.com

I am always looking for a way to eat cheaper but I was startled by how little healthy food was here…Kraft dressing and lunch meat…I really worry about that. That’s really toxic food. Doesn’t it bother you?

Thankfully, we’re eating a lot better now! Like I said above, we did the best we could with what we had available to us. It was for a small season in our lives and we’re past that hurdle of having to buy formula. It wasn’t always the best foods, but it worked for that short season!

Do they not have WIC where you live? Same thing happened to me and my husband. We signed up for WIC and it was a god send. They give you 7 cans of formula a month and a lot of food too. My son is now 2 and they still help us out with food and 4 gallons of milk for my son. They make sure you and your kids are eating right. . You should add a little something to your post urging women in your same position to look into WIC.

Thank you for the suggestion! I’ll see if I can add it in there. To be honest, I think we COULD have just taken the money for formula from somewhere else, and just not put as much money into savings or something. Part of this was just wanting to challenge myself to see if we could do it. But you’re absolutely right; if we were in a very dire situation, I would have looked into WIC. It’s helped so many people that I know!

My first thought when reading through this post was “gosh, that’s a lot of ‘junk’ food – where are the vegetables? That’s so unhealthy!” But then I realized that you probably already knew this, and then I read through the comments and saw how many times people still felt the need to point this out to you. But you handled it graciously every time! Thanks for being so honest and so patient with people!

I really appreciate that. =) As a sleep-deprived first-time mom, I just wanted to survive. Looking back, it really wasn’t the best way, but it was what I knew how to do. We’re actually in the same boat of having to lower our grocery budget to $30 a week due to my husband losing his job, but my knowledge of nutrition has increased and I’m trying to incorporate as much fresh produce as I can with what I have. It’s still not perfect, but it’ll have to do until we get income again!

Jamie… as a woman who is struggling to make ends meet as a teacher and going through a separation from her husband (and a possible divorce) I was in an absolute panic when I looked at my budget for groceries. However, this blog gives me hope. If you can do it, so can I! Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring to plan instead of panic!

Before powdered baby formula, evaporated milk was used. It is mixed with water and then a dropperful of vitamins added. It is almost the same as powdered formula BUt without the added corn syrup!!! Much better!! and much much much cheaper.

I also used evaporated milk for my children Back in the 1960s. We were living on a military service man’s salary. And sad too say but very few women breast feedback then. That wasn’t the modern thing to do. Jamie you are to be commended for doing your best. And I’m happy to see so many young women being so frugal.

I have four kids and at one point after the divorce we were eating mostly rice and beans, pasta casseroles, tuna, peanut butter sandwiches, oatmeal and for a treat fried chicken legs or thighs that were on sale. I’d make sure to buy 99 cent bags of frozen vegetables to throw into casseroles and whatever fruit was on sale for 99 cents a pound. A few other tricks I picked up were to buy meat that was reduced because it was getting older. I’d use it right away or throw it into the freezer. I also made my own sauces, pancake mix and laundry soap. The kids loved my homemade pizza that I’d make with a little tomato sauce, seasonings and a package of 99 cent cheese. Or baked potatoes topped with melted cheese and served with a salad. They asked for favorite meals occasionally that were too expensive for the budget but for the most part I don’t think they realized how poor we were. Luckily, we are doing a little better now.

I know this is a old post but you don’t know how much I needed this. When I read the end I literally almost cried. My husband and I are having a rough time and can’t even really pay our bills. We bought a house last year to raise our baby in then found out I was pregnant again. That was great. Then he lost his job and here we are. I make ok money but not enough. This will help us so much. Thanks!

I really loved this post. I am so impressed at your determination, humility, and creativity. You are an inspiration! My family doesn’t really have to struggle these days, but we have certainly been there. I wish we had had your “can-do” attitude instead of focusing on what we were missing out on. You are an inspiration, and I am sure that your story will encourage families for years to come! Well done!

I really appreciate this post. First off, I get the no-milk thing. I felt like such a failure. Guess what? It’s just part of how God made our bodies. #cantwinemall

We had nearly the opposite problem: a way-too-early baby with a load of medical bills, and special formula to boot. We aren’t currently in a dire situation, but I think it’s always prudent to not overspend. I’m gun shy after so. many. medical. bills. You have a great selection of tips, and I’m glad they aren’t “shop the farmer’s market (ours is more expensive)” or “go to the bulk spice store (we don’t have one).” This is serious budget shopping for real people!

Thank you for sharing this, Emma! Looks like you and I are both in better situations now. I love our farmer’s market now, but you’re right, it is more expensive. I don’t think we have a bulk spice store nearby, either! You gotta do what you gotta do to save money. I appreciate your story!

I just came across this post. I’m so glad I did. Our grocery budget went from $100 a week to $50,
(on a good week) after I got pregnant with my second and had to leave my job. My son is now 9 months but what I made would hardly cover daycare for him all day and our 6yr old after school. My husband makes enough money to pay our bills but the food budget is going to be so tight for the next couple months! I do plan on donating plasma again as soon as I can to help pay for groceries. Its 2 donations a week (about an hr each donation) and ends up paying $70 total. Its really worth going in a pinch! Also you can usually find coupons in your local ads to earn even more. Anyways this really comes in handy! Thanks for sharing 🙂

I remember very well that feeling of transitioning to SAHM and trying to figure out how I was going to make it work. I also had a two-week late baby who entered the world at 10 lbs 6 oz, so I understand how those big babies eat A LOT. I love your meal plan and reminder to look at our lives as seasons–that attitude makes it so much easier to weather the harder times. Thanks for writing this!

I’m so sad I found this post late. We are trying to save for a down payment for a house instead of living in an apartment. Do you have any tips to cut the food budget for a family of 5 I currently spend about $150 a week. Would like to cut that down to have more money to pocket away. We have a pretty picky family.

Hi Samantha! I have a couple posts that I wrote last year when my husband lost his job and we cut our grocery budget- How to Eat When You Have No Income, and Meals to Make When You Have No Money. I still hold to these tips even now that we have a stable income again! One recent thing that’s helped me is going to a bread outlet store- Entenmann’s, Aunt Millie’s, Hostess, etc. Do a Google search for one in your area if you buy a lot of bread. My outlet marks down bread, buns, bagels, English muffins, and more, down to 50 cents/$1.00. If you have room in your freezer, it’s worth buying a lot and freezing for later! I hope this can help you a little. =) Good luck saving for your down payment!

What a lovely testimony to the goodness of God. I quit teaching when I was expecting our daughter. Our son came 6 years later. We always said we didn’t have our children so someone else could raise them. We lived on one modest income and I felt pretty frustrated at times, but we were never hungry or in dire need. God always provided. Our children 43 and 37 now with families of their own. We are still trusting God and He is good.

I just saved 2 articles for reference and they were both yours! I love these tips and ideas. Always trying to save on groceries when we are struggling (like now) and when we are not. There is almost a feeling of desperation deep down when you have less than a certain amount of money for the week to feed a family of 4, sometimes 6 people and your ideas show how far every penny really can go! Thank you!

These are all really great! My family of 4 recently had to cut our budget down to $50-$60 a week. A few other really great cheap meals you can make are: French bread pizza
Bread $1, pasta sauce $1.38, cheese $2, pepperoni $2 (feeds 4 with left overs)
Fritto pie: bag of frittos, can of chili, half a bag of shredded cheese bake st 400 for 30 mins it’s amazing and so easy and around $4
I make a lot of hamburger helper with ground turkey which is usually about $3-$4 total to make.
We also make a lot of breakfast for dinner, bacon eggs and toast or sausage and eggs which ever is cheaper.
Love the post it’s nice to know I’m not alone in trying to make cheap meals for my family when you done have a lot to work with!

I’m crying reading over your post and these comments. We were in that same place when our first child was born. I remember holding a $20 in one hand and a list in the other at the entrance to Aldi and praying, “well God, this one is on You.” And then I’d walk into the store and they’d have milk at 25 cents just for that day and meat with that lovely $5 off sticker and bread for 10 cents and I would just smile. It’s stressful and hard and yet caused me to strengthen those trust muscles and get creative.
And this is just for anyone else who is reading these like I am: I remember one day standing in the grocery store having a full blown panic attack because I was killing my kids by not feeding them organic blueberries (not to mention that their “favorite” meal is bologna and cheese sandwiches). I went home and told my husband that I could not have this happen every time I shopped or fed our kids. We talked it through and decided that day that our family is simply not an organic food family. We will do what we can but we don’t sacrifice their greater good (which includes us living within our budget and their momma not having panic attacks in the grocery store) for the good of organic blueberries vs. non organic. Let go of the guilt. The season you’re in is not forever. Do what you can today and be proud of it. Love on your family and feed them. You’re doing a great job.

Thank you so much for sharing this, Stephanie! It’s amazing how God provides in the toughest of times. I agree, we should have no guilt in feeding our family by doing the best we can. Organic or not, they’re being fed and ultimately that’s what matters!

Just came across your article and could cry knowing there was someone it there in the same situation we were in with our first child. Aldi was a lifesaver! My first birth is now 4 and we have a 10 month old now. I was just thinking the other day how different things are (financially) with #2. No stress about being able to afford diapers and formula….we just buy them when we need them…and I’ll never take it for granted! Having been in a much different spot in life with #1 was truly humbling. Thank you for sharing your experience and strategy to get through it.

Jaime, I remember those days 19 years ago when we had our first baby. Unfortunately for my family we live in an area that only has one chain grocery store, one discount chain store, Wal-Mart, and local stores. We do have a food co-op but the prices are more expensive than the grocery store. We have a family of six, about to drop down to having only five in the house, and I am always looking for ways to lower our grocery budget. I would love to see posts by bloggers that did not include coupons or places like Aldi. We do not even have a Costco closer than a two hour drive from us. This is not to insult your post, but I would love to see what somebody could get for say $50 a week without coupons or Aldi’s or discount bread stores. Out where I am at the cheapest cost for ground beef is $4/lb. chicken is typically $2+/lb., and pork is usually around $3-$4/lb. Fruits are rarely under $2/lb. unless it is bananas. Veggies we can get for around $1/ea. or $3+/lb. I am trying to learn about canning and what can be frozen, so I can buy things in season and freeze for later. Our grocery store does do the discounts on meat when its reached its expiration date, but they never go about 20% off. Still, your post has made me feel better about the occasional boxed meal that I will feed my family when money is tight, there is nothing wrong with this, and I also want to commend you on your responses to those posts.

Thank you, Karen! I understand about needing to shop at non-Aldi stores. I’m sure there are some bloggers out there who also don’t have discount stores in their area! But, you’ve given me an idea to stop by my local Wal Mart to see just what I can buy with a smaller grocery budget. =)

Thank you! Our family has hit a point where we have to start cutting costs drastically and it seems that groceries are one of the few ways I can control. We have accumulated some debt (most of it our own fault for living beyond our means) that needs to be paid down as soon as possible. This post reminded me that short term sacrifices can lead to better places. When my son was little we were also in a similar situation financially and I can remember when we went to Save A Lot and bought the boxes of mac and cheese for 25 cents each and I had canned a bunch of green beans from a garden we had raised at my parents house the previous year. Needless to say we ate green beans and mac and cheese for what seemed like an eternity. Definitely not healthy or organic, but we were fed and we survived. I appreciate your kindness and grace with the commenters who were less than nice about the health aspect of your meals. You have reminded me what is truly important in life and for that I thank you! This season in our life will soon pass, but for now it is blog posts like this one that give me new ideas to help us survive and thrive! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Thank you for this post. We are a family of six and have never been like this before. So I am trying to do my best with what little bit we have since we are a one income family now. I found this article so useful and will be implementing some things when I plan out my next grocery haul.

Your last couple of paragraphs is where I have been this past week. Trying to find out where we would get the money from to feed our family until payday. We shopped on $30, although I didn’t get a lot, we will be eating this week. Thank God for placing items we needed on sale or having some items discounted, my many of coupons that Kroger keeps sending me. I don’t know how we got through this week. So thank you!

Thank you for sharing this, Astrid! God is so good; sometimes when we can’t even fathom how we’ll survive, God makes a way. I’ll pray that you can find peace in this situation and will be in a better place soon!

Thank you for this post! You are open and honest about what you were able to afford/ not afford, and that is so inspiring. I am going to try to implement some of your ideas. We are a one-income family of 8, trying to make a small budget work with hungry mouths to feed. I think your reliance on prayer and God is the most remarkable thing! I too have been praying a lot recently, and it seems Our Heavenly Father never runs out of personally unique, creative ways to take care of us. I have experienced this firsthand. Thank you for sharing your family’s story.😊

Thank you for sharing this. My husband told me this week our food budget is $39.00 per week. We are a family of five (three small children). We are hoping to pay off our car by the end of the year. It seems impossible right now. I went to Aldi today and felt defeated to be honest. I know that “this to shall pass,” but it seems like such a struggle. Thank you again for sharing your experience.

I think this a great testimony to the things God can do for us if we just believe in him and trust him I’ve also had times like this also going to thrift stores for school clothes for 6 kids and God made sure we had what we needed

I’m sure you’ve heard it a thousand times, but that was incredibly… moving? touching? inspiring? I’m not really sure what to say it is, I just know I am almost in tears at your strength. I hope you all are doing well, thank you again for sharing this.

Congratulations! Your post was my feature pick at #ThursdayFavoriteThings this week. Visit me at https://www.marilynstreats.com on Wednesday evening and to see your feature and grab your badge! All hosts choose their own features from the comments left on their blog so be sure to return to my blog for your badge. I invite you to leave more links to be shared and commented upon. Please don’t forget to add your link numbers or post title so we can be sure to visit!

Great blog, just curious why buy formula? A few commentators here also mention formula, I would think if the budget is tight breast feeding which is healthier anyway and free would be an obvious choice. Not judging, just curious since it’s not just you but lots of mom’s commenting on here that specifically mention formula. Thanks and great work here!

Thank you, Kate! I tried for 2-3 months to breastfeed Allison, and unfortunately it just wasn’t working. Lactation consultants tried to help but I just couldn’t make it happen. In order to save my sanity as a first-time mom (and try to conquer that post-partum depression), we decided it would be best to switch to formula. =) If I were able to breastfeed, I definitely would have!

Ok, I NEVER leave a comment but I am so very inspired by this article that I just had to write something! Thank you so much for this, my husband and I have 2 small daughters (2.5 yo and 6 mo) and we are up to our eyeballs in debt. I’ve always tried to stick to a strict budget but it’s hard, I’m in Australia where (as another person commented) we don’t have coupons or much competition between supermarkets. So groceries are EXPENSIVE here. Anyway, your article has given me so much inspiration and some great new ideas. And I love that you leave your trust in God and that He will provide – I’m such a worry wart but remind myself every day that God will make sure we have what we need to survive! Having young kids and being constantly sleep deprived makes it so hard to make things from scratch, your menu is perfect for families especially those with young kids, and is A LOT better than eating at fast food restaurants. You have a wonderful balance of foods that are easy to prepare when running around looking after a baby/toddler which involves nappy changes, nappy explosions, feeding, entertaining, constant loads of laundry, dishes, crying (baby AND me at times!), nap times, baths etc etc. I’m also a paediatric nurse (on mat leave right now) and look after lots of mums and bubs with feeding issues. I love the saying ‘fed is best’ – I know so many mums who have tried so hard to breastfeed but simply can’t and end up with postnatal depression because they feel like failures, which is so far from the truth. Formula is excellent these days, so expensive but very well formulated for what bub needs. I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been able to breastfeed but I wouldn’t hesitate to get formula if needed – much more important that baby is well nourished and thriving! Sorry for the long post but just wanted to say thank you for ‘keeping it real’ for busy families, it’s a lot healthier than snacking on lollies and chips all day and gives me hope that we will get this debt under control in a timely manner! God Bless!

That sounds familiar to me. We too had to do the same things, We ate deer meat for the first year after our son was born and salads with every meal, carrots, lettuce, apples, imitation bacon bits and salad dressing. Lot’s of spaghetti and canned green beans that I canned the year before, navy beans and homemade pizza with sauce, pepperonis, and cheese. God always made sure we had food to eat. It may not have been what we wanted but our baby came first, diapers formula and such is expensive. We survived and we do talk about it from time to time and smile at each other.

you know, we are now in a place where we shouldn’t have to spend so much on our grocery bill, our kids are grown and out of the house. There are just two of us…. and we still spend waaay to much! I remember when we had such a small income really small, when we were first married and my husband who had been in a car accident 6 months prior to our wedding was not working. I was the only one now this is way back in the early 80’s so living on $30 a week for groceries wasn’t a hardship! but when I became pregnant with my second son and now I wasn’t working, that made things alot harder! aldis was a godsend! and I rebated. now it means something totally different but in the 80’s you could really save big on using the upc codes off of your labels. I would wait until I had enough to send in to get a book free! as well as getting alot of items totally free by following directions for the rebate. I am a reader and that was my obssession! anyway, I think that you have done exceptionally well and I know that your ideas are worth using! thanks for sharing!

[…] week I chose this post from Jamie at No Getting Off this Train, she wrote about how there family ate for $37 a week for a year. She had some great pointers and it’s a great post to get some ideas for shopping […]